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Monday, July 27, 2015

Here's is a discussion with MIT Technology Review contributing editor George Anders, based in Northern California and Sally Kornbluth, Duke University Provost. Sally Kornbluth says there’s no question that students are getting value from online learning.

Photo: Sally Kornbluth, Ph.D., courtesy of Duke University.

Of all the U.S. universities offering free online courses to the
world, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is among the most
active. Its professors have filled Coursera’s distance-learning platform
with 30 courses, in subjects ranging from astronomy to dog emotions.
Since 2013, the university has assigned one administrator exclusively to
digital and online education initiatives.

There’s even a collection of sunny haikus about online education on Duke’s website.“A few years ago, the question was ‘Should we be teaching online or shouldn’t we?’ says Duke provost Sally Kornbluth,
a geneticist by training. “That conversation has passed. Now it’s a
conversation about what kinds of innovative things we can do.” In a
discussion with MIT Technology Review contributing editor
George Anders, Kornbluth explained why Duke is bullish about online
education—and what new opportunities lie ahead.

Universities have been relying on books, lectures, and
seminars since the 1400s. Does online learning provide a fourth channel
that can rival the others?It’s supplementary. It hasn’t
replaced in-person lectures or books. But there’s no question that
students are finding it another avenue for getting the information they
want. Frequently, that’s complementary to traditional settings. In other
words, they’re looking for more background. Online learning actually
enriches their in-person experience.Tell me more about blended learning—where instructors use a
mix of online tools and classroom settings. How much is that happening
at Duke, and what are the results?We have a lot of “flipped
classroom” education going on. It’s not in every corner of the
university, but you will see plenty of situations where students do
online exercises or watch material online ahead of class. Then faculty
can use class time for experiential learning or discussions, rather than
straight-on delivery of didactic material. Students still get in-person
interactions with fellow students and the faculty. We create touch
points that interface with the technology, rather than having the
technology be stand-alone.Read more... Source: MIT Technology Review

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Hello, my name is Helge Scherlund and I am the Education Editor and Online Educator of this personal weblog and the founder of eLearning • Computer-Mediated Communication Center.
I have an education in the teaching adults and adult learning from Roskilde University, with Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and Human Resource Development (HRD) as specially studied subjects. I am the author of several articles and publications about the use of decision support tools, e-learning and computer-mediated communication. I am a member of The Danish Mathematical Society (DMF), The Danish Society for Theoretical Statistics (DSTS) and an individual member of the European Mathematical Society (EMS). Note: Comments published here are purely my own and do not reflect those of my current or future employers or other organizations.